Resetting mechanism for weft replenishing looms



March ZS, 1944. v. H. JENNINGS RESETTING MECHANISM FOR WEFT REPLENISHINGLOOMS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed July 29 INvEN'roR hcrroad. Izuwmas 'Pvv-voRNaY FIE-.1

March 28, 1944. v JENNINGS 2,345,341

RESETTING MECHANISM FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Original Filed July 29,1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 28, 1944 RESETTING MECHANISM FORWEFT REPLENISHJN G LOOMS Victor H.

Jennings, Worcester, Mass., 'assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works,Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Original application452,738, now Patent 6 Claims.

This is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 452,738,filed July 29, 1942, and issuing as Patent No. 2,326,863, dated August1'7, 1943.

This invention relates to improvements in thread cutters and clamps forweft replenishing looms and it is the general object of the invention toconstruct the thread cutter in such a way that it will have asufliciently long range of motion to insure cutting by the temple cuttersoon after a replenishing operation.

In weft replenishing looms it is customary to sever the thread of theoutgoing bobbin by a thread cutter which is moved rearwardly from itsnormal inactive forward position incident to a transferring operation,and during rearward motion the cutter blade is swung to open position bya link hung eccentrically with respect to the center around which thethread cutter swings. As heretofore constructed such thread cutters havehad a limited range of movement due to the construction of the link orrod which operates the movable cutter jaw. As a result of this smallrange of movement the thread is not moved forwardly a sufiicientdistance to permit cutting by the temple cutter until several picks haveelapsed after transfer and there is danger that if transfers occur onsuccessive arrivals of a shuttle under the magazine the thread clampwill release the thread of the first transfer before it has been cut atthe temple.

It is an important object of my present invention to provide a controlfor the rod which operates the movable cutter blade in such a manner asto permit the cutter and clamp to move forwardly a suflicient distanceto draw the clamped thread into the temple cutter on a transferring pickof the loom, thus insuring cutting of the thread at the selvage before asecond transfer can occur.

It is another object of my present invention to provide a lost motionconnection between the movable cutter and clamp operating rod and itssupport so constructed that the cutting will be effected on the firstpart of the forward cutting stroke of the cutter, after which the lostmotion connection operates to permit a considerable forward motion forthe purpose of moving the thread into the temple cutter. This same lostmotion connection is also effective to release a previously clampedthread early-in the rearward motion of the cutter before it moves overthe lay.

'The thread is therefore able'to fall in front of the lay without dangerof being entangled'with the shuttle and being drawn into the warp shed.

No. 17, 1943. Divided and 1943, Serial No. 486,240

July 29, 1942, Serial Na,

2,326,863, dated August this application May 8,

It is a further object of my present invention to provide theoperating-rod for the'movable cutter with resilient means which preventsaccidental opening of the clamp when the cutter is in inoperativeposition. i I f" It is a more specific object of'mypresent invention toprovide a pivoted cutter carrier hav ing a movable cutter blade thereonconnected'by a rod to a support eccentric with respect tothe axis of thecarrier and wherein the rod is provided with a pair of spaced grooves toreceive a yielding lock effective to operate the cutter at two differentpoints'in-the stroke of the carrier. The first point occurs early in thebackward stroke to release a clamped thread, and the second point occursearly in the forward stroke to cut the thread of the outgoing bobbin.

With theseandother objects'in view which will appear as thedescriptionproceeds, my invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and'set forth;

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of myinvention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a weft replenishing mechanismviewed from'the center of the loom an'dhaving my invention appliedthereto,

Fig. 2 is an enlargedvi'ewo'f a portion of Fig. 1 showing the cuttingm'echa'nismin two different positions near the forward limit of itsstroke,

Fig. 3 is a'view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the cutter mechanism intwo other positions near the rearward limit of its'stroke,

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical "section on line- 4+4 ofFig.2,

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan showin the relation between my improvedthread cuttenthe fabric being woven, the temple cutter and-:the lay,

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but'with the parts in difierentposition correspondin to Fig.3, 'Fig. 7 is a view similar to'a part ofthe lower end of Fig. 3 but with parts'removed to illustrate the movablecutter and the stops with which it cooperates} 1 T Fig. 8 i a verticalsection on line 8-3. of Fig.

Fig. 9 is, a front elevationlooking in the'direction of arrow 9, Fig. 1,on an enlarged scale.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have shown a loom frame '10 having'a magazine Mprovided witha transferred arm "carryingthe'usuallatchilz to bepositionedfor transfer 'bya rod I- The: lay t5 swings backwardly andforwardly andisprovi'ded with a shuttle box Hi to receive a shuttle S.

bunter IT on the lay' coopera'tes withthe latch l2 h p 2 when the latteris raised on the forward beat of the lay on transferring picks of theloom to effect downward movement of the transferrer arm so that a bobbinB in the magazine can be inserted into the shuttle S; During transfer athread T extends from the selvage of the fabric F into the shuttle box16 and is attached to the bobbin in the shuttle. It is this thread,shown in Fig. with which my present invention is concerned.

Secured to the magazine is a stand 28 having a pivot 2| on which ismounted a bell crank lever 22 one arm of which is connected to-anupwardly extending link 23. The depending arm of. lever 22 carries apivot pin 25 on which is mounted a carrier 26 having a stop 21 heldagainst a second stop 28 on the bell crank l'ver by a compreg sionspring 29. The forward or rightend oi this spring, as viewed in Fig. 3,engages an upwardly extending horn 30 on the carrier 25, while its rearend extends into a pocket in lever 22 to e a th atter- T e pu pe e. of sminal is to, permit forward yielding of the carrier with respecttothebell crank leyer to avoidrbreakage.

v The lower end ofthe carrier is provided with a rearwardly andhorizontally extending foot to which is secured a stationary cutterblade 36 and onwhlch is pivoted the movable blade 31. The latterswingsabout a stud 40 secured to the foot: 35 and on which is slidablymounted a clamp plate. the rear. end ,of which. is guided by. a pin."extending laterally from the foot 35. The blade 3'! moves between thestationary blacle 3fi and the clamp Al and the later may be held tightlyagainst the movable blade by a spring 43,.secured to the carrier. I I

. The swinging cutter has a forwardly extending finger pivoted as at 45to a rod head 41 adiustable on the lower end of anoperating rod 48. Theupper end oftherod is guided by a rockin bearing 58 pivoted. to thesupport 23 as at; 5!. The bearing. 58 is free to swing, on its axis 5|as the angle of' theoperatin-g rod changes and the rod is free to slidelongitudinally through the bearing. a

V The 'loom frame 55 which extends along is provided with a temple theright selvage of. the

fabric to a point spaced a slight distance in ad-.

vance of .the fell 56 of the cloth. The thread T extends from theintersection of the fell and selva'ge into the shuttle box, but isordinarily behind the range of 'action of thetemple cutter 57, since thelatter is. setseveral'picks in advance of the fell of the cloth. The layoperates the temple cutter on each forward beat inthe usual manner.

The cutter and clamp unit is positioned as to its extremefront andrear'positionsby the mechanism shown in Fig. 9. The link 23 is connectedat; its upper end to an: arm 80 secured to a rock sliaft 81-j'ournaled'on the: magazine M. A second arm 82 Ifixed to shaft 8| hasswivelled thereon a block 83. slidable in the slottedarm ,84pivoted at85 to the magazine. A spring 86 in slotted arm 84 bears against theblock and tends to hold arms 82 and 84 yieldingly in either. of twopositions. A lug 81 onthe magazine cooperateswith stop screws 88 and 89on arm 84 to position the latter, and therefore arm 82,.0n either, sideof a line joining centers 81- and 8 5. These parts constitute ayielding'lockL to hold shaft M in itsnormal and transfer positions. Bywell known mechanism shaft 8 I isturned' clockwiseas seen in Fig. 9whenv a replenishing. operation is called to move screw. 89 away fromand screw 88 against 'lug The matter thusfar described, excep'tas indivclamp is constructed, mounted and connected to operating parts of themagazine. It is thought sufficient for present purposes to state thatthe carrier 26 is normally in the extreme forward position as shown inFig. 1 due to the fact that link 23 is down, but when a replenishingoperation of the loom is called rod 23 is raised to swing the carrier"around its pivot 2| toward rearward cutting position. Thereafter thecarrier is returned to its normal forward inoperative position bydownward motion of the rod 23 by mechanism to be. described. During thisoperation the cutter moves through a much wider angle than has beenpossible heretofore.

In carrying my present invention into effect I provide means by whichthe carrier can be moved forwardly far enough to draw the thread T intothe temple cutter 51. To accomplish this result I provide the operatingrod 48 with two vertically spaced peripheral grooves 60 and GI forreception of a ball lock 62 slidably mounted in an extension 63 cf therocking bearing 50. A light compression spring 64 within the extension53 bears against the ball to force the latter against the rod and intothe grooves and the pressure exerted by spring E4 may be varied byadjustment of screw threaded into the end of the extension 63. A collar'61 is adjustably held on the rod 48 by a set screw 68 and supports thelower end of a compression spring 59 surrounding, the rod 48 andpositioned for engagement with the lower end of the bearing 53. Screw 38holds a stop plate-i9 over and in the path of blade; 31. and foot 35 isprovided with a second stop 12 for the movable cutter blade 31 which mayconveniently take the form of a screw lying above the arm 45 andassisting in holding the stationary blade 36 to the foot 35, as shown inFig.7.

As already stated the carrier for the combined cutter and clamp has amuch larger motion than similar mechanisms heretofore used. It has beenformer practice to rely upon engagement of the advancing lay with thefoot 35 to move the car'- rier 26 forwardly sufficiently to permit theresetting mechanism at the top of the magazine to complete forwardmotion of the carrier. In the present instance, however, the lay wouldgive the carrier insufficient motion for its resettin and for thatreason I employ the connections shown in Fig. 9.

I provide the hub as of the transferrer arm lever II with a small arm 9|which is pivoted as at 92- to the lower end of a link 93. The upper endof link 93 is slotted at 94 to receive a stud 95 on an arm 96 secured toshaft 8!. Arm 96 is extended beyond stud 95 to have connection at 91with the upper end of previouslydescribed transferrer latch controllingrod It. The usual lost motion connection 98 is provided betweenrodl3andthelatchl2,seeFig.l.

In operation the parts will normally be in the position shown in fulllines in Figs. 1, 2 and 9 with arm 88 down, arm 95 up and. stud 95located a considerable distance above the bottom of slot 9 4. 1 Rod I3will also be up so that the transferrer latch [2 can be in its downnon-working position as shown in Fig.1, and the cutter and clamp unitwill be in position I, Fig. 5. When a replenishing operation. is calledby the weitdetectormechanism not shown the magazine will be set fortransfer,

and shaft 8| will be rocked in a clockwise direction, Fig. 9, to lowerarm 96 so that latch l2 will rise to working position and stud 95 willmove to the bottom of slot 94. Link 23 i also raised to swing carrier 26to its rearmost position, see full lines Fig. 3 and position III, Fig.5. Under these conditions the transferrer arm is still raised so thatarm 9| is down with link 93 in its low position.

At the start of rearward movement of carrier 26 the ball 62 will be ingroove 6| as shown in Fig. 4 and because of the difference between thecenters 2| and 5|, the cutter blade 3'! will move against stop 12 asshown in Fig. 7 and down to open position to release a previouslyclamped thread. This release will occur when the parts are in theposition of II, Fig. 5, and dotted line position of Fig. 2, shortlyafter rearward movement of the carrier 26 has started. With blade 31against stop 72 further rearward movement of the carrier 36 will causerod 48 to slide down through the bearing 50, ball 62 moving out ofgroove 6|, along that part of the rod between grooves 60 and 6|, andinto groove 60 to the position of Fig. 6 which corresponds to the fullline position of Fig. 3. It is thus apparent that the clamp releases athread early in the backward movement of the carrier, and in factconsiderably before the carrier has completed the first half of itsrearward movement. The thread thus'released falls in front of the lay.When the carrier has moved to its rearmost position the thread'T willenter the bight between blades 36 and 31 due to forward movement of thelay.

As the lay continues to advance its bunter will engage the latch |2 torock the transferrer arm counter-clockwise as viewed in Fig. 1 and causeupward movement of arm 9| and link 93. Inasmuch as stud 95 is at thebottom of slot 94 at this time, upward movement of rod 93 willimmediately start to rock lever 96 which in turn will rock shaft 8|counter-clockwise, see Fig. 9, to lower link 23 and start the carrier 26on its return or forward movement. During descent of the transferrer armI rod 93 by its upward movement raises lever 96 and rocks shaft 8| untilthe lock L passes its center, after which the lock completes movement ofthe shaft 8| and parts connected to it to normal or reset position.

The increased motion of the cutter and clamp 1 unit is so large that thelay by its engagement with foot 35 could not of itself move the lock upto or past its mid position, and it is in order to secure suflicientmovement of the lock to insure resetting that I employ the transferreroper-- ated rod 93.

Since the ball 62 is in the groove at this time, the jaw 37 will startto close immediately upon the beginning of forward movement of carrier26 and when the latter has moved from the full to the dotted lineposition of Fig. 3, corresponding to position IV, Fig. 5, blade 37 willhave cut and clamped thread T and will have moved against stop 39. Thatpart of thread T between blade 36 and the shuttle S will be free tofollow the outgoing bobbin and that part of the thread between blade 36and theselvage will be clamped between parts 31 and 4|. Forward movementof the carrier 26 occurring thereafter will cause the rod-48 to slideupwardly through the bearing 50, unseating the ball from groove 60 androlling it along rod 48 to groove 6| which it enters when the forwardmovement of carrier 26 is completed. A light spring 69 between bearing50 and collar 68 on rod 48 holds the cutter 31 in closed position andprevents opening of the clamp under loom vibration.

Thus it is seen that the thread T is out early in the forward movementof the carrier at a time before the latter completes the first half ofits forward movement, and the clamped end of the thread is moved farnough forwardly to draw that end of it next to the selvage into therange of action of the temple cutter 51. The parts then remain in theirreset position until the next replenishing operation is called, and thetemple cutter 51 will'be able to sever the clamped thread T shortlyafter the replenishing operation and preferably before the nextreplenishing operation.

After thread T has entered the bight between the cutters the carrier 26reaches the position IV, Fig. 5 before advance movement of the lay canslacken the thread T sufiiciently to permit it to fall out of thecutters. During this cutting operation there may be a slight relativemovement of the thread rearwardly with respect to the forwardly movingjaw 31, but the latter will operate to cut thread T before moving farenough forwardly to get away from the thread.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simplemechanism for controlling a thread cutter and clamp unit to permitrelease of a thread early in the movement of the cutter from normal toworking position, after which the yielding lock permits completedmovement of the unit toward rearmost position. It will further be seenthat the yielding lock operates to effect thread cutting early in theforward motion of the cutter when the released thread can be drawn outof the shuttle bythe descending depleted bobbin, after which the lockyields to permit forward movement of the cutter to normal position forlocating the clamped thread in the range of operation of the templecutter. It will further be seen that the movable blade 31 operatesbetween two stops which cooperate with the yielding lock 62 to operatethe cutter and clamp unit early in its opening and closing strokes.

seen that the rod head 4'! permits an adjustment between the cutterblade 31 and the yielding lock.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes andmodifications may be 1. In thread control mechanism for a loom having alay' to operate the latch of a transferrer arm and having also a shaftwhich rocks from normal to transfer position preparatory to areplenishing operation of the loom, a, combined thread cutter and clampunit connected to the shaft to be moved from normal to thread receivingposition when'the shaft moves to transi fer position and move back tonormal position when the'shaftreturns to normal position, a leversecured to the shaft and moving with the latter from normal to transferposition, means connecting the lever to the transferrer latch providinga lost" motionconnection to move the latch to position for'operation bythe lay when the shaft turns to transfer position and permittingmovement of the lever to normal position while the latch is engaged withthe lay, and other means connected to the transferrer arm 4- and thelever providing a lost motion connection between the transferrer arm andthe lever so constructed as to permit movement of the lever to transferposition independently of movement of the transferrer arm but requiringthe lever to move from transfer to normal position when the transferrerarm is operated by the lay.

2. In thread control mechanism for a loom having a lay to operate thelatch of a transferrer arm and having also a shaft which rocks fromnormal to transfer position preparatory to a replenishing operation ofthe loom, a combined thread cutter and clamp unit connected to the shaftto be moved from normal to thread receiving position when the shaftmoves to transfer position and move back to normal position when theshaft returns to normal position, a lever secured to the shaft andmoving with the latter from normal to transfer position, a connectorincluding a lost motion mechanism from the lever to the transferrerlatch to move the latter into position for operation by the lay when theshaft moves from normal to transfer position, and a second connectorfrom the lever to the transferrer arm including a lost motion mechanismby which the lever is the first connector Without communicating force tothe transferrer arm and by which the latter when moved by engagement ofthe latch with the lay moves the lever to cause the shaft to return fromtransfer to normal position and thereby move the cutter and clamp unitfrom thread receiving to normal position.

3. In thread control mechanism for a loom having a lay to operate thelatch of a transferrer arm and having also a shaft which rocks fromnormal to transfer position preparatory to a replenishing operation ofthe loom, a combined thread cutter and clamp unit connected to the shaftto be moved from normal to thread receiving position when the shaftmoves to transfer position and move back to normal position when theshaft returns to normal position, a lever secured to the shaft andmoving with the latter from normal to transfer position, a connectionfrom the lever to the latch to move the latter to position for operationby the lay when said shaft moves from normal to transfer position, astud in said lever, and a rod connected to the transferrer arm andhaving a slot to receive the stud, sai'd stud normally located in aposition spaced from the end of the slot adjacent the transferrer armand moving to said end of the slot when the shaft move from normal totransfer position, subsequent movement of the tr'ansferrer arm when thelay engages the latch causing the rod acting through the stud to movethe lever and shift the shaft from transfer to normal position andthereby move the cutter and clamp unit from thread receiving to normalposition.

4. In thread control mechanism for a loom having a lay to operate thelatch member of a transferrer arm member and having also a shaft whichrocks from normal to transfer. position preparatory to a replenishingoperation of the loom, a combined thread cutter and clamp unit connectedto the shaft to be moved from normal, to thread receiving position whenthe shaftvmoves to transfer position and move back to normal positionwhen the shaft returns to movable to operate normal position, a leversecured to the shaft and moving therewith from normal to transferposition, a connector between the lever and the latch member, a secondconnector between the lever and the transferrer arm member, and eachconnector providing a lost motion mechanism between the member connectedthereto and the lever, the first connector acting to move the latchmember into position for engagement by the lat when the lever moves fromnormal to transfer position and the second connector acting to returnthe lever from transfer to normal position when the transferrer armmember is given a transferring movement by the lay and latch member andcause the shaft to move said unit from thread receiving back to normalposition.

5. In a thread control mechanism for a loom having a lay to operate thelatch of a transferrer arm and also a shaft with a lever secured theretowhich rocks from normal to transfer position preparatory to areplenishing operation and then has a reverse rocking back to normalposition, a combined thread cutter and clamp unit connected to the shaftand moved by the latter from normal to transfer thread receivingposition when the shaft moves to transfer position and back to normalposition when the shaft returns to normal position, a spring lockoperative in a given point in the movement of the lever from transfer tonormal position to complete said movement, means connecting the lever tothe transfer latch providing a lost motion connection to move the latchinto position for operation by the lay when the lever moves to transferposition and permitting movement of the lever to normal position whilethe latch is engaged with the lay, and other means operated by thetransferrer arm when the latter has a transferring stroke to move saidlever from transfer toward normal position and beyond said point.

6. In a thread control mechanism for a loom having a lay to operate thelatch of a transferrer arm and also a shaft with a lever secured theretowhich rocks from normal to transfer position preparatory to areplenishing operation and' then has a reverse rocking back to normalposition, a combined thread cutter and clamp unit connected to the shaftand moved by the latter from normal to transfer thread receivingposition when the shaft moves to transfer position and back to normalposition when the shaft returns to normal position, a spring lockoperative in a given point in the movement of the lever from transfer tonormal position to complete said movement, means connecting the lever tothe transfer latch providing a lost motion connection to move the latchinto position for operation by the lay when the lever moves to transferposition and permitting movement of the lever to normal position whilethe latch is engaged with the lay, and other means providing a lostmotion connection between the transferrer arm and said lever soconstructed as to permit movement of the lever to transfer positionindependently of the transferrer arm and operated by the transferrer armwhen the latter has a transferring stroke to move said lever fromtransfer toward normal position and beyond said point.

"VICTOR H. JENNINGS.

